A Motorcycle Really Needs To Feel Right…

A neighbor recently thinned her bookshelves and deposited a plastic bag filled with paperbacks on my doorstep. Included in the discards that she thought I might enjoy was Robert Fulghum’s “All I bud-bylineReally Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  In reading it, having missed its gentle wisdom when it was a best-seller more than two decades ago, a couple of lines jumped out at me:

“Snow is God’s way of telling people to slow down and rest and stay in bed for a day.” Given the winter just concluded, I feel like I’ve been bedridden for months, although a busted starter on the snow blower in my garage provides contradictory evidence. (There’s also a wheel missing on my lawn mower but it’s still too soon to worry about that.)  Like most everyone, I am far beyond being well-rested. Consistently warm and sunny weather and the opportunity to ride every day are needed.

“What I really want from transportation is not an image but a feeling.” Had I read that 1-V-Rod and wallline 10 years ago when I took up motorcycling, I might have disagreed. My first and second bikes were Triumphs because the blood of my ancestors was mostly English. My third bike was a Harley-Davidson, albeit a V-Rod model, because, well, the branding said “Harley-Davidson.” The bike also had some fancy “100th anniversary” badges. Those three purchases were image decisions.

I’ve since owned seven other used bikes and have finally come to agree with Fulghum. I want a feeling from a bike, and that can only be obtained through appearance, sound, handling and even weight. The name displayed on the gas tank says little except to maybe suggest the price (Ducati = expensive), the style (Harley = cruiser) or the fact the owner follows the herd.

Fulghum’s pronouncements somehow came to mind when it dawned that a column highlighting some new models for 2014 might be a good idea. But how could I make suggestions without using a tired approach? Easy – ignore image and go with feeling. So, what are this year’s most interesting new bikes based on the aforementioned criteria? Here are four candidates:

1-H-D Dyna Low Rider - 2014Appearance – OK, first off ignore what the man at the keyboard just wrote about image. He means it when he says that image shouldn’t matter, but when it comes to appearance, the first choice in the category just does happen to be a Harley. It’s the revived Dyna Low Rider. It warrants attention simply because it just looks like a motorcycle should look. Low-slung (with a 25.4-inch seat height) and solid, with “chunky mag wheels” that add a bit of sportiness. The Dyna Low Rider returns after a five-year absence with an MSRP of $14,199 in black and $14,929 in two-tone.

1-BMW NineT left sideSound – I never thought I’d write that a BMW sounds so fantastic, but the Akrapovic exhaust on the new R nineT has an alluring bark, the kind designed to keep you alert and rolling on the throttle when entering curves all day long. I heard it recently and instantly wanted to record it as a ring tone. Combine the sound with the roadster’s squat good looks and the ability to customize it and this bike’s a no-brainer. The MSRP is $14,900.

V-Strom 1000Handling – The adventure touring category has been popular recently, and Suzuki has a new version of its V-Strom 1000 model. Adventure tourers are designed for on-road and off-road use; to be able to go long distances; and to be able to carry more gear than a pack mule. What makes the big V-Strom so appealing is a lower standard seat than competitors’ models (at 33.4 inches), a light weight of only 503 pounds and an MSRP of $12,699. That’s $3,400 less than a BMW R 1200 GS. Bargain.

2014 Honda ValkyrieWeight – The older I get, the lighter I like a bike to be. It’s easier to pick up if I drop it. However, Honda has resuscitated a heavyweight, bringing back the Valkyrie name after an 11-year absence. It’s intriguing. The six-cylinder Valkyrie’s a version of the Gold Wing. Weighing in at 750 pounds and with a 67.2-inch wheelbase (by comparison the Dyna Low Rider weighs 644 pounds only stretches 64.2 inches), it’s a behemoth. MSRP is a $17,999. Only the muscular need buy.

RIDE-CT hasn’t ridden any of the aforementioned models – yet. The Dyna Low Rider, the R nineT and the V-Strom 1000 are now in showrooms, while the Valkyrie should arrive sometime in April. They are not the only new models for 2014 (or 2015, as some newcomers have already been labeled). They’re just the ones with most noticeable “feeling.”

(Originally published in “The Republican-American” on March 29, 2014)

About admin

Since 2010, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has been reporting about motorcycling in New England and portions of New York.